Manufacture of cement.



S. 0. GOWPER-COLES.

"MANUFATURE 0F CEMENT.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN.17, 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

S. 0. GOWPBR-COLES. MANUFAGTUR 0F CEMENT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1908.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

num-"ung imrrnn srefrns Parana union.

SHERARD OSBGRN COWPER-COLES, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

MANUE'ACTURE 0F CEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

.Application led January 17, 1908. I Serial No. 411,356.

- of Portland cement from. blast furnace slag or other suitable materials, the object of my invention being to produce a cement which while it has the qualities of the best Portland cementis manufactured at'a price considerably below that of such cement.

y According to my invention the materials from which the cement is formed or a fused mixture of these materials is subjected to the action of an electric current which will raise the mass to a higher temperature. than can be obtained by theuse of lire heat whereby certain reactions are set up which set free a. larger quantity of sulfur than has vhitherto been commercially possible and bring about a more intimate combination of the dierent ingredients than heretofore.

In carrying out my invention I take mol ten slag direct from blast furnaces or I melt slag and other material usually7 employed in the manufacture of cement in a furnace with nre heat and then allow the molten material to pass into an electrical furnace whereby the temperature is raised in the manner hereinbefore indicated, the electrical furnace being arranged in such vrelation to the fire furnace that a practically continuous electrical treatment of the molten material may-be ob! tained. In some cases lime or chalk may be mixed in the electrical furnace with the molten material. l furthermore advantageously arrange in connection with the discharge outlet of the electric furnace means for quickly cooling the molten mass so that the amount of Grinding necessary for reducing the clinlier to a marketable condition is reduced to a minimum.

Means suitable for carrying out my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which l Figure l is a sectional side eci/*ation of a furnace and apparatus arranfed in' accordance with my invention, and Fig. 9; is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a.Y longitudinal section of a modified detail.

a. indicates acupola or furnace proper in which the raw materials for making the cement, which can be blast furnace slag or chalk or clay or the necessary mixtures of these materials or any of the usual materials employed for the manufacture of cement and which are mixed with coal or coke for the production of the necessary heat, are reduced to a molten condition, the upper part of the said furnace being formed with the hopper a normally closed by a cone a2, the lowering of which allows the cement materials to fall into the furnace; this cone is provided with a shaft or chimney a3' through which the waste gases are allowed to escape, the said gases being, if desired, subsequently utilized for heating the blast of the furnace or for raisingl steam or for any other purpose. The said furnace has around it a number of twyers or nozzles into which the necessary blast is delivered through a passage l). l

Instead of mixing coke or other solid fuel with the cement material the necessary, heat may be obtained by burning producer or other suitable gas through the said twyers.

Adjacent to the ordinary outlet c of the furnace I arrange the small hearth d which is the floor of a chamber d', the said hearth being preferably slightly below the level of the bottom of the furnace and being provided with the discharge aperture c. Through openings in the ends of the chamber d are. passed carbon or other suitable electrodes f, f, the said electrodes being carried in holders g, g mounted upon bars 7L, z secured to the furnace in such a manner that they can be moved thereon in order to retain the electrodes at the requisite distance apart. These electrodes are adjusted so that the heat generated between them is immediately adjacent to the discharge aperture e whereby as the liquid mass from the furnace flows over the hearth d it will pass between the electrodes and so be subjected tof the required electrolytic action.

lll/"here lime or chalk is mixed with the molten materials in the electrical furnace it may be supplied through the electrodes which are made hollow for the purpose. One of these electrodes is shown at Fig. 3, f being the passage through vvL ich the lime or chalk is fed 'from a hopper f2 by means such as, for instance, a screw conveyer f3.

The electrode is preferably of iron and to prevent it'being fused it is provided with a jacket f4 designed to be cooled by Water flowing through pipes f5.

z' is a table on Which the electrolyzed nia-` terial drops from the discharge aperture c, the r'aid table being rotated by n cans of a 'belt and pulley or by any` other suitable means, and y' is a pipe through which water or steam is discharged onto the material as it comes into contact with the table. 1 is a Wall forn'ied around the said table and is a perforated chute throue'h the perforations of which the Water Will escape to a suitable outlet and which 4serves to conduct the clinlier to the outlet Z. Adjacent to the outlet Z l advantageously arrange an elevator fm, for coi. iying the clinker to suitable grinding machines. l l lt is to be understood that my invention is not in any way limited to the usc-of the furnace hereinbe'i'fore described as any other suitable form of furnace may be used for the purpose.

Although l have referred to the electrolyzation of a molten mass of'material it is tobe understood that in cases where electricity can be cheaply produced the Whole of the materials constituting the cement may be fused by the current itself and, inftliis case, the Whole niass is zulvantageously mixed with a weak acid solution which Will reduce the electric resistance sutliciently to allow the current to be passed until the mass has been raised to such a temperature as to itself form the conductor.

ln some cases the cement produced by the process liereinbefore described may have combined with it a proportion. say 25% more or less, of blast furnace slag, which has not been electrolyzed but uliicli has been granulated prei'i'erably by the action of a jet of Water brought into contact with it when in a molten condition.

Having nou' fully described and ascer gredients from which the cement is formed, and then subjecting the fused mass to the action of an electric current and further raising the temperature of the mass to bring about certain reactions and set free the sulfur, substantially as described.

The process of manufacturing cement consisting in fusing in a cupola or other furnace a mixture of the'ingredients from which the cement is formed and then in subjecting the fused mass to the action of an electric current whereby the temperature of the mass is further raised, substantially'as described.

3. The process of manufacturing cement consisting in fusing in a cupola-or other furnace a portion of the mixture of the in' grcdients frein Which the cement isformed and then subjecting the fusedimass to the action of an electric current, chalk or lime, necessary to complete the mixture being added' when the temperature has been `increased by the said current, substantially as described.

t. The process of continuously manufacturing cement, Which consists in fusing va mass of cementitious material, continuously drawing oft portions of the molten mass and subjecting it to the action of an electric current to further raise its temperature, to bring about reactions and to set free the sulfur7 and continuously discharging the calcined material, substantially as described.

The process of continuously manufacturing cement Iwhich consists in fusing a iiiass of ceinentitious material, continuously drawing olf portions of themass a-nd subjecting it to the action of an electric current to bring about certain reactions and .to set Afree the sulfur, continuously supplying chalk or lime, necessary to complete the mixture to said material While it is being acted upon by the electric current and continuously discharging the material, substantially as described.

SIERARD OSBORN COWPER-COLES.

lilitnesses JOHN E. BOUSFIELD, C. Gr. REDFERN. 

